This Eye-Opener Helped Me Quit - Randy Kessler
Who knows how we ultimately arrive at our current career path? Of course we can plan, hope and wish, but there are always unknown factors. I heard this morning on the radio about a teacher who makes his high school seniors write a letter to themselves, to be opened ten years in the future.
The discussion was basically how goals and plans change based on circumstance, and no one really ends up on the exact career path they choose. My path and the change that put me there (on the path to building a law firm) was not as dramatic as many I have heard in my 26 years of practice as a divorce lawyer, where yes, I think I have almost heard it all. What drove me ultimately to start my own law firm at age 29 was a simple, but frustrating, difference of opinion.
My opinion was that I contributed to the team, and the team (my employer) would reciprocate. Well, did it happen? As kids say these days (and what Tonto said often), “not so much”. The situation: I had generated a case that provided good revenue for the firm. But when a court reporter bill went unpaid (after the client had paid the firm thousands), part of the court reporter’s bill was deducted from my salary by my employer (only a few hundred dollars, but it was over 10% of my paycheck at the time). That was the eye-opener for me.
For others it is more drastic—and it may be better, for instance, to lose a job and be forced to start over on a better, more productive path. Once that proverbial “last straw” was dished out, it set me on a new course. I then met with anyone I could who would give me advice about opening and operating a law firm. It was such a change in my life. I was looking forward; scared, but looking forward.
I would be dependent on me. And I slowly gained confidence. But, as an insecure young lawyer (another fact that probably shaped my career path), I needed to discuss my work, my cases, my clients and their problems with others. This made me almost immediately begin hiring staff.
A paralegal and an associate were my first hires, and from then on, I realized that adding good people, smart people, to a team was invaluable. And hopefully, and most importantly, I hope and believe that I do “give back” to those that give to the team. I also try to give back by being active in my field and speaking to younger lawyers and on social media, obviously on LinkedIn and elsewhere.
Giving back. It is the only way to work and it is the only way to live.
This post is part of a series in which LinkedIn Influencers share how they turned setbacks into success.
